Support and protecting device for fluid dispensing cylinders



June 15', 1937. w, G, WATKINS 2,084,231

SUPPORT AND ?ROTECTING DEVICE FOR FLUID DISPENSING CYLINDERS Filed sept.3,/ 193e 2 sheets-sheet 1 Summum June 15, 1937. w. G. wATKlNs 2,084,231

SUPPORT AND PROTECTING DEVICE FOR FLUID DISPENSING CYLINDERS Filed sept.s, 195e y2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 15, 1937 surroa'r ANDrnoTEc'rlNG nEvrcE Fon FLUID- nrsrENslNG crmNnEas Walter G. Watkins,Kansas City, Mo Y to Skelly l Company, Tulsa,

n. assigner voma.

Application September 3, 1936,A Serial No. 99,298

4 Claims.

A was designed to make use of the general principle embodied in saidformer patent in connection with installations requiring a pluralityofgas supply cylinders.

The primary" object of this invention is to 1l provide an apparatus forsupporting conventional iluid dispensing Icylinders at a placeconvenlent to the point of utilization, and having means -for protectingthe individual cylinder valves and thecommon pressure regulator unit oagainst knocks or tampering. A

Another object of my invention resides in the construction of theseprotecting members in a unitary assembly whereby a single padlock orother locking means may be employed to simultaneously lock theprotectors in'their respective positions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a protectingassembly of this character which maybe easily removed for inspection anda0 adjustment of the valves and' regulator, and

readily locked in place.

Finally, it is my purpose to construct a support and protector which isdurable, strong and efficient, and one which may be manufactured andinstalled with a minimum of effort and at a reasonable cost.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, mylinvention resides in the novel features herein|set forth, illustratedl in the accompanying drawings and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims. l

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designatesimilar parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 ls a view,J in front elevation showing my improved support andprotector withl twoVv supplycylinders installed.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view in sideelevation with one cylinder removed and with the protector assembly inelevated position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top view partly in section and partly broken awayto illustrate the structure cf the protector assembly.

(Cl. .2M-73.5)

Fig. 5 is a front elevation ofthe same, partly broken away.

(Fig. 6 is adetail of one of the valve cap protectors, and v Fig. 7 is adetail view Showing the regulator 5 protecting hood and its mode ofattachment.

In the drawings, I represents a vertical standard which preferablyconsists oi a metal channel column provided with a base plate or support2, welded or otherwise suitably secured at its 10 lower end. The baseplate 2 is drilled at 'predetermined points to receive bolts or the like3 by means of which the standard is secured in place on a concrete baseor foundation 4. The bolts 3 may be embedded in the concreteI so as 15to provide rigidsecu'ring means.. f

My improved protector assembly is indicated generally by the numeral 5and consists of crossarm 6 made up of two metal strips secured togetherin spaced relation byl a pair of oppositely yg() disposed 4angles l.These angles areV located centrally of the cross-arm 6 andr are soarranged as to slidably embrace the upper endof the standard I, asclearly shown in Figs. Zand 4, the legs of the angles being bolted as at8 or otherwise 25 rigidly secured to the strips forming the crossarm.

At each end the cross-arm 6 carries avalve cap or bonnet 9 preferablycomprising .a metallic cylindrical member open at its lower ex- 30tremity and rounded in a closed top. As will be seen from Figs. 5' and6, each bonnet 9 has an opening Ill in its wall adjacent the crossarm 6,the metal which is cut from said opening being bent outwardly to form apair of vertical 35 flanges II. The bonnets 9 are secured to the ends ofthe cross-arm 6 by bolts or the like I 2 l which extend through theiianges II and the ends of the adjacent metal strips forming thecross-arm. 40

The cross-arm 6 is of suilicientvlength to span' a pair of conventionaliluid dispensing cylinders I3 and I4 when placed on the concrete base 4as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the bonnets 9 housing the valves ofthe respective cylinders. 45

Gas dispensing installations of nature require the use of a pressureregulator which is arranged in communication with the cylinder valves ofthe respective cylinders, and in Figs1 1 50 to 3 of the drawings I haveshown how my device accommodates this element of the installation.

gaugeextendingwupwardly as at Il in Fig. 3,- on the front face of thestandard I. f

In order to protect this regulator against knocks and tampering, as inthe' case of the cylinder valves, I provide a hood I1 which is suitablyshaped to house the regulator valve, adjuster and gauge assembly I6.will best be seen from. Figs. 4, 5 and -'7, is bolted onfthe outer faceand at the central portion of the cross-arm 6, by means of bolts I8, itsopposite side lwalls being slotted as at I9 to accommodate the pigtails20 connecting the cylinder valves with the regulatorl valve assembly I6.

The major portions of the pigtails are disposed between the stripsforming the cross-arm 8 when theprotectors are lowered into position onthe cylinder valves and regulator. The slots I9 `per mit the protectorassembly 5 to be lifted for adjustment or installation of cylinders.

In order to facilitate the locking of the protector assembly in place, Iprovide a series of openings 2I in one side of the channel standard I toaccommodate a padlock or other lockingv means 22 see Figs. 2 and 3).

With the use of my invention. the installation and adjustment of thecylinder valves and regulator assembly is greatly simplied yet at thesame time adequate protection is afforded against knocks and-tampering.In order to' replace one or more of the cylinders I3 and I4, the serviceman simply removes the lock 22 and slides the protecting device 5upwardly on the standard I. The openings III and slots I9 in the valvebonnets and regulator hood, respectively, permit the upwardmovement ofthe protecting device 5. When they fresh cylinder or cylinders areplaced on the base 4, the protecting device is lowered on the standarduntil the valve bonnets 9 and hood II enclose the parts to be protected`and the padlock is returned to the proper opening 2| in the side ofchannel I.

It will be noted that the structural details oi' the protectingdeviceare greatly-simplified to the end of economy in manufacture andsimplicity of assembly, it being of course understoodthat I do notintend to confine myself to these particular details, as various otherarrangements may be employed with equal eiect.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and advantagesof my invention may This hood as be readily understood by those skilledin the art without further description, it being borne in mind thatnumerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departingfrom the spirit of my invention as set out in the following claims.

What I claim and'desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A support and-protecting device for uiddispensing cylinderinstallations comprising an upright standard having at its upperextremity a protecting device for the valves of adjant cylv vinders andfor a pressure regulator assembly connected to said valves, saidprotecting device comprising a cross-arm, valve protecting bonnetscarried at opposite ends of said cross-arm and adapted to enclose saidvalves, a regulator protecting hood carried by said cross-armintermediate its ends adapted to enclose at least a portion of saidregulator assembly, said protecting device being movable with respect tosaid valves and regulator assembly, and means for locking?- saidprotecting 'device in place.

lator assembly connected to said valves, and

means for securing said protecting device in place.

3. A protecting device ior the valves of adjacent fluid dispensingcylinders comprising a plurality of valve bonnets, means extendingbetween said bonnets for supporting the same as a unitary v structure, ahood carried by said last named means, adapted to enclose at least aportion of a pressure regulator assembly, an upright standard adjustablysupporting said protecting device,

and means i'or locking said protecting device in place on said standard.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said valve bonnetsand hoodare provided with Openings to accommodate the connections between saidvalves and saidpressure regulator assembly. y

WALTER G. WATKINS.

